Akatsuki Kakashi
by black lambs don't lie
Summary: Kakashi's been ninjanapped by Itachi and Kisame. They've taken him to the Akatsuki hideout for information. On the way there Itachi finds an item in Kakashi's possession which begs the question: Is the Copy Ninja as loyal to Konoha as everyone thinks?
1. Capture

Itachi refused to let his surprise show on his face. He didn't think the Copy-Ninja figured it out on his own – the man was a genius but the Akatsuki was still relatively unknown. Some one had slipped up; they'd need to be more careful and alert Pein-sama.

"Kisame! Take Kakashi with us! The others, let them disappear from this world." Kisame grinned and charged the three Konoha ninjas only to be kicked back by a man in horrifying green spandex. Itachi warned Kisame not to take the man lightly and focused on making a plan to get Kakashi.

"We are not here to fight a war…even though it's a shame to leave, but to stay here is meaningless. Let's go." Itachi saw Kisame look at him from the corner of his eye. Kisame said something about getting excited, causing a distraction for him. Itachi used the body flicker jutsu and lifted Kakashi from the woman Maito Gai had handed him to. As soon as he had Kakashi in his hands, they both disappeared.

They only stopped once on their way back to the hide out and that was only so Itachi could readjust his grip on the gray haired man. Itachi knew there was no reason to rush to the hideout now that they were far from Konoha. It wasn't like Kakashi was going to wake up anytime soon. In fact it was stupid to rush, Tsukuyomi drained his chakra and the speed they were using combined with Kakashi's weight was wearing him out.

Kisame was tempted to ask his partner why he'd taken the gray haired man rather than killing him. Though rather than anger the tiring teenager, he let him be. But when Itachi nearly collapsed he put his foot down. "Itachi-kun let me carry him."

Itachi hesitated, reluctant to hand over his captive. Mentally smacking himself (since he was being rather dumb) he handed over the Jounin. Kisame slung the man over his shoulder and put a steadying hand on the younger man's shoulder. "We should rest." He said.

"No, we need to get to the hide out." Itachi shook Kisame's hand and continued.

"Itachi, you're being stupid." Kisame grabbed Itachi and forced him to the ground. The younger man went down easily, his legs collapsing under him. "What's your deal, Itachi?" He asked setting Kakashi on the ground. Itachi ignored him and slipped out of his cloak, they were at the border of Fire and Sand so it was boiling. Kisame rolled his eyes at sat next to his moody partner. Itachi slipped his hand in the pocket of his pants and felt the ring he'd placed there earlier. He knew it was Orochimaru's ring, Sky, but he wasn't sure how the Copy-Nin had gotten it. To his knowledge the snake sannin took the ring with him everywhere - on his original hand no less. There was much they could learn from the Kyuubi container's teacher - if he survived that is. Itachi hadn't been gentle with Tsukuyomi and only the best of healers could fix its effects. Pein-sama's skills would be put to the test.

Kisame glanced at Itachi, the Uchiha was spaced in deep thought and Kisame had the urge to poke him in the forehead. He almost did, until Kakashi made a soft noise of pain gaining his attention. "I thought his mind shut down..." Kisame murmured.

"No, he's deep in his unconscious. He's still feeling the effects of Tsukuyomi. In a few hours he'll be taken by fever."

"Why?" Kisame had seen the Tsukuyomi several times but none of it's victims ever survived.

"His mind is convinced he's been stabbed for seventy two hours. So it'll make his body think it has the wounds and wounds untreated get infected." Itachi turned his gaze towards the sinking sun. "What've we got for food?" Kisame dug in their packs and pulled out a small ration of dried meat and rice cakes. He also planted Itachi's canteen next to him. They ate in silence as the sun finally dropped below the horizon. "I'll take first watch." Kisame said. Itachi spread his cloak on the ground and pillowed his head beneath his arms.

His dulled black eyes closed quickly and the next moment Kisame was waking him for his watch. He blinked slowly as he sat up - though he didn't appear it, he was quite alert. Itachi walked over to Kakashi, his steps made no sound. He could tell from standing above the man - even with his deteriorating eyesight - the man was sweating with fever. To get an idea of how high he took off the forehead protector and placed his hand on the man's slick brow. The fever was high and dangerous.

"Damnit." He muttered, they didn't need the man dead. Itachi tore a stripe of his cloak and soaked it with the cool water from his canteen. Itachi took off the man's flak jacket and the bandages on his legs. He pushed up the legs of his pants, the sleeves of his arms and the waist of his shirt. It would have been better to strip him completely but they were in a rather open place that wasn't ideal for a quick getaway with a naked ninja. This would have to do. It would also help to lower the mask the silver haired man wore but for some reason - even to the S-ranked criminal - that felt... wrong. Itachi couldn't understand - he slaughtered his family without feeling yet he couldn't take down a sick man's mask?

_'Meh, emotions suck.'_ Itachi thought darkly. He sensed unfamiliar chakra in the distance. It wasn't very strong from this distance but it would be unwise to linger. The Uchiha waited for a cycle of 10 minutes to pass to see if the chakra would change direction. When it failed to Itachi threw a rock at Kisame's side. The shark like man sprang to his feet with Samehada raised.

"We need to move." Itachi said softly. Kisame nodded unhappily. He still didn't like the way Itachi looked - still too peaky. The Konoha Jounin looked worse though.

"We're going slow. Unless they catch up to us quickly there's no need to rush." Itachi just gathered their things and Kakashi's clothes. He understood why Kisame wanted to go slow and he himself didn't fancy being carried by the shark man.


	2. Confrontation

A/N: This isn't a big thing, just a few corrections. I'll try to update every Sunday. Also since I didn't put it in the first chapter: I don't own Naruto.

Kisame quickly assemble the collapsible sheath for Samehada and strapped the sword to his back. It would be easier to carry the sword and the sick ninja this way. Kisame picked up the silver haired Jounin, taking note of the damp piece of cloak tied around his forehead. He looked at Itachi one eyebrow raised at the torn hem of his cloak.

"He's of no use to us if fever kills him." Itachi said as he began walking.

"Why are we taking him anyway? He's slowing us down and even Pein-sama might not be able to reverse the affects of the Tsukuyomi." Kisame said. Itachi's hand disappeared from his sleeve and Kisame tensed, unsure if the younger ninja was reaching for a weapon.

"I found this, in his pocket when I lifted him from that kunoichi." Itachi brought out the ring. It gleamed forebodingly in the rising sun. Kisame stared at the ring.

"Now I know why you were rushing." He muttered. "How'd he get it?" Itachi gave him an irritated look.

"Okay stupid question." The blue man raised the hand that wasn't keeping Kakashi steady, in a placating manner.

They continued in silence. When the sun was at it's highest Itachi allowed them to stop for a short break by a small river. Kisame set Kakashi down and rolled his neck. Itachi sat on a boulder and crossed his legs Indian style. He shut his eyes and inhaled deeply, meditating. As he did so, Kisame stripped to his pants and waded into the river.

Kisame had caught four fish when Itachi spoke next. "We're still being followed." He slid off the boulder and roasted the fish quickly.

"We're not sticking around to find out who it is." Kisame said gave Itachi two of the fish. "Eat it all, you're still looking peaky."

"I'm fine, and we'll have to loose them before we get to the hideout anyway." Itachi protested.

"We'll discuss it after you eat." Kisame gave him a hard stare until he complied; which he did with a glare.

"You're such a mother hen." He muttered.

"I'm only acting this way because you're not taking proper care of yourself. And I don't plan on getting a new partner just because you're acting like a bratty teenager." Itachi glowered; he hated it when Kisame drew attention to the fact that he was the youngest member in the Akatsuki.

Kakashi moaned in pain, bringing their attention to him. Kisame took the cloth tied around his head and dipped it in the river. "Finish up." He ordered.

As he tied the cloth back in place he suddenly looked at Itachi. "The attack on Konoha happened in early July right?"

Itachi nodded briefly. "And he was carrying the ring when you found him?" Again Itachi nodded. "I don't think he told anyone he had it."

Itachi stared at Kakashi, seeing him in a darker light than he had before. Perhaps Copy-Ninja-Kakashi wasn't as loyal to his home as was thought.

"They're repressing their chakra." Itachi said as he tossed the remnants of the fish into the bushes. As the trailing ninja got closer he could better sense their chakra. Kisame dragged Kakashi out of sight and stood at Itachi's side. Down the path the other ninjas came into view. Itachi, cursing his failing eyesight, had to activate his Sharingan to see them properly. _Orochimaru and his pet._ Itachi held back his angry snarl. He knew what the snake man had done to his brother. He also knew that there was a high possibility that Orochimaru knew Kakashi - or another Konoha Jounin at least - had his ring.

"You want him or his pet?" Kisame asked, unsheathing Samehada.

"I'll deal with Orochimaru, you keep the other busy." Itachi said.

"Itachi-sama, Kisame-sama." Kabuto nodded his head as they approached.

"Where is he?!" Orochimaru demanded.

"He who?" Kisame asked with a cocked brow.

"Don't be coy with me Kisame! I know you have the copy-ninja; you failed to hide his chakra signature!

"If you think he has what you desire, why wait nearly a month before retrieving it?" Itachi asked. His Sharingan spun with a threatening click-whir.

"I was trying to heal his arms, but I failed, miserably." Kabuto said cheerfully, pointing to Orochimaru's arms.

"You've got two useless arms and a questionably loyal minion. We have the Sharingan and the Samehade. This will not be in your favor if you choose to fight." Itachi pointed out.

"I want my ring!" Orochimaru screamed and ran at Itachi. Itachi sidestepped and kicked Orochimaru in the shoulder blades as he went past. As Orochimaru tried to fight Itachi, Kisame turned to Kabuto.

"What about you?" He asked, pointing his giant sword at the medic-nin.

"I want no part in this. I told him to find Tsunade-sama before worrying about that stupid ring, but does he listen to me? No, he decides he's going to attack you guys while he's incapable of using jutsu." Kabuto ranted. "Some genius he is." The silver haired boy muttered. "Orochimaru, I'm leaving! Bye!" He yelled and began to walk away.

"Give Sasori-sama my regards." Kabuto said with a wave. Kisame's brow furrowed - Kabuto was an odd one, that's for sure.

Just as Itachi was getting bored, Orochimaru turned and fled after Kabuto. Itachi sighed. "Well, let's go." He began to pick up what little they had out while Kisame retrieved Kakashi.

They reached the hideout without trouble. As they walked through the halls, the Akatsuki members present peered out of various doorways.

"Enter." Pein said before they could knock on the door. He gave Kakashi a brief look before speaking again. "I wasn't aware you had orders to take captives, Itachi-san, Kisame-san."

"The Konoha ninjas are aware of our existence." Itachi set the ring on Pein's desk. "He had this when we fought."

Pein picked up the ring and stashed it somewhere in the shadows. "Did you use Tsukuyomi?" He asked. Itachi nodded. "Chain him to a table in the basement and get some rest. I expect your report on my desk by morning." Pein dismissed them.

"I'll take him down to the basement, you start on the report." Kisame said once they were outside the door. Rather than waiting for the reply he knew he wouldn't get, Kisame started towards the basement. Itachi deactivated his Sharingan and began towards their rooms.

"Kabuto says hello." He said as he passed Sasori - who had Deidara pinned to the wall.


	3. Awake

A/N: Sorry if that confused anyone, I forgot to edit the document!

Kakashi groaned - he felt like a bull had trampled him a couple hundred times. He could vaguely recall fighting the infamous Uchiha Itachi and being put through some kind of mental torture.

Kakashi tried to open his eyes, his eyelids felt like they were made of lead. "Don't move." A sense of foreboding came from the voice. "I have yet to fully release the effects of the Tsukuyomi."

Kakashi could feel the man's (unless it was a very deep voiced woman) chakra on his body. It felt non-intrusive - healing then.

"Sleep, Copy-Ninja." The voice commanded and Kakashi sank back into unconsciousness.

When he came-too again there was a silver haired man leaning over him. "Fucker's finally awake." The man said. Another man leaned over him. This one had most of his face covered; only his bright, pupil-less eyes were visible.

Kakashi opened his mouth to speak but all that emitted from his throat was a harsh croaking noise.

"He needs water." The masked man said.

The vulgar man wasn't paying attention; he'd started ranting about some one named Jashin. Kakashi could careless at the moment; he needed to figure out where the heck he was and what they planned on doing with him.

Judging by the cloaks these men were part of the Akatsuki. As he looked around he could see vague snatches of red in the darkness - other members were in the room. "Hidan-san, give him water." The voice was the same that Kakashi had heard when he first woke up. Kakashi couldn't see the owner of the voice from his position.

Grumbling, the man Kakashi assumed was Hidan grabbed a canteen. Out of habit, Kakashi tried to jerk back when Hidan reached for his mask. He only succeeded in cracking his head on the table he was on. Hidan laughed at him, as did some of the members Kakashi couldn't see.

Roughly his mask was pulled down and the canteen was forced to his lips. Water poured into his mouth faster than he could swallow and Kakashi ended up choking - spitting most of the water back out in an attempt to clear his throat.

Kisame, who Kakashi recognized by the blue color of the man's skin, jerked Hidan's arm back. He turned Kakashi's head to the side so the Konoha Jounin wouldn't choke more as he coughed up the fluid. At the look Hidan gave Kisame the blue man spoke. "I'm all for torture but if you drown him, he's useless."

Kakashi wasn't sure if he should be grateful or worried.

Hidan grumbled more, threw around a few 'Jashin's (_Who the hell is Jashin?_ Kakashi wondered) and stormed away. The masked man with the pupil-less eyes wandered after him.

"Itachi-san, feed him." The voice commanded. "The rest of you, get lost."

Kakashi heard fabric rustling and guessed the others were leaving. He blinked a few times and saw Itachi leaning over him, glaring without the Sharingan activated. Kakashi glared at him in return until his stomach growled, causing them both to look at his stomach.

Itachi sighed and left Kakashi's field of vision. When he returned, he was carrying a bowl. Itachi brought the spoon to Kakashi's mouth and Kakashi grudgingly opened his mouth.

They carried on until the bowl was empty and Kakashi had that after-a-big-meal sleepy feeling. (It had been a thin soup but Kakashi hadn't eating for a while so it felt like a feast)

Kakashi's eyelids drooped and his head dropped backwards – he'd had his neck arched awkwardly so he could swallow properly. He jerked awake though, stubbornly refusing to sleep with an Akatsuki member in the room. When he heard Itachi leave the room Kakashi let himself fall asleep.

"Wake up, bastard."

Kakashi felt a stinging pain in his cheek and opened his eyes. Before him stood Hidan, covered in blood, with a malicious grin on his face.

Kakashi had only just noticed that he was now upright when a wooden paddle was swung at his face. "Oh shit." He managed to say before the wood hit him.


	4. Join us or die

A/N: Sorry about the loooong delay in updates, life got a little hectic for awhile.

Kakashi spat out one of his teeth. To Itachi it looked like one of the Jounin's molars or a wisdom tooth – if Kakashi still had those.

Kakashi had been awake – tortured – for three days already. None of his wounds were life threatening – Pein wouldn't allow it. The one time Hidan got over excited and shoved a pike through Kakashi's right lung, Kakuzu healed Kakashi and was allowed to decapitate Hidan.

Itachi and Kisame had then been unanimously selected to keep an eye on Hidan. At the moment, Kisame wasn't paying attention and Itachi was bored. There was only so much torture you could watch before it got repetitive.

"She whimpered and writhed as he caressed her skin…"

That caught Itachi's attention. Not because he liked that sort of thing, he though sex was disgusting, but because it was _so random_.

Kakashi kept talking – Itachi ignored the words but paid close attention to the older man's actions. Kakashi's hands wrapped the chains around his wrists. The silver haired man kicked out, catching Hidan in the groin. Using the chains and wall as leverage, Kakashi managed to snap Hidan's neck with his feet. He kicked Hidan away and performed a bastardized form of his infamous Rikari.

The chains snapped and the shackles at his wrists were weakened. Kakashi whipped Kisame in the temple with the chain still attached to his wrists and turned to Itachi. He stared Itachi in the face, just below Itachi's eyes.

Itachi caught the chain when Kakashi swung it at him full force. The impact broke Itachi's hand and nearly knocked him off his feet. He ignored the rush of nausea and jerked Kakashi off his feet.

With his uninjured hand Itachi wrapped the chain around Kakashi's neck. Itachi steadily increased the pressure until Kakashi's eyes bulged – his Sharingan spinning wildly – his face red and drenched with sweat, his silver hair matted with blood and sweat.

"Why did you keep the ring?" Itachi loosened the chain enough for Kakashi to speak.

Kakashi managed to catch Itachi's broken fingers in the chain links and twist the chain as he spoke.

"Why do you people care so much?" Kakashi thrust his hands forwards and kicked at Itachi's legs at the same time.

Itachi rolled, the chain tightened around Kakashi's neck, Kakashi rolled with him to keep it slack. They ended up twisted together, the chain tight around Kakashi's neck and Itachi's fingers mangled in the chain links.

Itachi head butted Kakashi hard, hard enough that his forehead protector split the older man's skin and caused him to bleed.

As Kakashi went limp Kisame got to his feet. He snickered when he saw them. Kakashi had landed on Itachi; their fight had snapped the weakened shackles at Kakashi's wrists. One of his arms was under Itachi's shoulders and his other was pulled behind his own back. Itachi's mangled hand was trapped in the space between Kakashi's elbow and side.

"Shut up and get him off me," Itachi growled.

Kisame, still chuckling, got them untangled from the chain. He put the Konoha Jounin on a table and strapped him down.

"Get Pein to take a look at that, I'm going to get Kakuzu to reset Hidan's neck." Kisame picked up Hidan's limp body.

Itachi sat quietly as Pein examined his hand.

"Konan will be able to take care of this easily enough," Pein began, "go to her in a moment, I want to speak with you about Hatake. Do you think we could benefit from having him join us?"

"We could learn from him. How the Kyuubi child fights, what to expect from him. Hatake is also a very skilled ninja; his Sharingan is weak though, it needs to be trained. We also can't be sure where his loyalties lie, he had the ring but as far as I know, he hasn't shown any other disloyalties to Konoha." Itachi said.

"After Konan takes care of your hand you will ask him to join us, " Pein said after a few moments, "give him one week to think about it. You know what you must do if he refuses."

Itachi nodded and stood, hearing the unspoken dismissal.

Konan set the bones in his hand after straightening them and healed it with chakra. After ordering him not to use that hand she let him go.

Itachi quietly wandered back to the basement. He pushed open the door carefully, taking not of the whip crack in the air.

His Sharingan spun angrily, burning Kakashi's bared and bloody back in his mind.

"Hidan," Itachi said coldly, "leave."

Hidan jumped, dropping the bullwhip as he whirled to face Itachi. He took one look at Itachi and fled the room.

Itachi grabbed a cloth and a bowl of warm water. He set them on a small table next to where Kakashi was chained. Quickly he cleaned wounds and bandaged them before they could start to bleed again. Itachi unlocked the chains at Kakashi's wrists and backed away as the man twisted and dropped.

"You have a choice," he began quickly, "you can join us, or die. You have one week to make your decision."


End file.
